With winter blues still clinging to all it can get out of this season, spring sports are in full practice mode. The scent of fresh cut grass and fresh dirt stirred up on the diamond will soon fill the air once again. Yes, break out the cleats and sunflower seeds, oil up the glove and get a crew cut (baseball fans only), baseball, softball and track will get underway this week.
Panther baseball will be the first to crack the whip in a season opener against Sherman on Thursday, March 15. Hotdogs will be bubbling in the pot and smack talk echoing through the dugouts. The Panthers, under the command of Head Coach Brian Holcomb and Assistant Coach Doug Thomas, will take the field with a well rounded team. There will be some heavy bats on the team this year and what appears to be some good pitching. Most of the team has returned from last year, and it promises to be a good season with a pile of wins. Their home opener will be the on Saturday against Richwood. They will settle in for a three game home stretch the following week.
The Lady Panther Softball ball team will hustle in a new head coach for the 2018 season; Leslie Osborne will take the helm along with assistant coach Kaitlyn Thomas. They have been cracking the whip in the preseason getting the Lady Panthers in shape. They look as though they will be tough to beat with some pitchers that can fire missiles from the mound, some big gloves and heavy bats. The Lady Panthers will take the field against Meadow Bridge on March 17 if everything gets worked out. They will play their home opener against Webster on March 20.
The CCHS track team will hit the field running wide open on March 16 at Laidley Field in Charleston. They will compete in the KVTFOA tournament where they will work out the bugs and hone their skills against some of the top athletes in the state. It is an opportunity to see what they will be up against in other tournaments throughout the year. They will also be in action on Saturday at the Don Williams Invitational in Roane County. They have a lot of new faces on the team that will bring some much needed speed to their arsenal. CCMS baseball and softball will also be in action on March 16 away at Braxton to start off their season. The Mustangs will have a three game run on the road and will return home against Guyan Valley on March 24. The Mustangs should be pretty loaded with talent this season and should win a heap of games.
The Lady Mustang softball team will have a new coach this season; Billy Varney, along with assistant coach Luke Kleman, will try and get the Lady Mustangs to the top of the food chain this season. They will play a double header against Braxton on March 16 and a double against Calhoun County on March 20. They will go head to head in their home opener against Walton on March 26.
If you plan on attending a game, make sure you pick up a schedule and support the youth of the county. Spring is almost here.
